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Comment Re:No bubble. (Score 1) 192

There isn't *that much* of a difference if I buy the latest Tim Schafer game from a major publisher and it turns out to stink, or if I fund Tim Schafer's Kickstarter campaign and get the game "for free" and the game turns out to stink. Really, there are 2 differences: (a) if the publisher makes the game first, I can read the review before I buy; and (b) in the kickstarter model, Tim Schafer probably has more creative control. Therefore, the whole thing comes down to the question, "Do I generally trust Tim Schafer to make a good game?"

Actually on Kickstarter you are buying *a promise* that some time in the future, if all goes well, you will get a game, a book, a dvd whatever. I wouldn't compare it with investing and the stock market either, because if a project goes really really well the "investors" won't see a dime extra than what they initially pledged for.

The complaints I've seen are usually about long delays, delivering less than promised, Kickstarter exclusives ending up in retail boxes and retail being much cheaper and not any slower than getting it from Kickstarter (especially if you are from outside the US). The only apparent advantage as you said is that you remove the middle-men but, unless projects start improving on the other aspects, people will become more hesitant to give money or will give money only to "sure bets". Of course "sure bets" had other ways of raising money so the "fad" or "bubble" of the new, unknown guy or gal crowdsourcing a new idea is going to deflate. In fact, it has already deflated a bit because a lot of the new projects are from established companies that use Kickstarter as a market survey tool and flexible pre-order system (see for example the ogre project by SJ Games).

Comment Re:Nope (Score 1) 741

Just wanted to point out that besides modern Greek, ancient Greek is also being taught in Greek high schools. It was mandatory some years ago and I expect it still is. I've also heard that ancient Greek is a popular course in certain countries like France, but I can't tell if it is true or not.

Comment Re:Sadly... (Score 1) 436

Did I say that companies are bad and that we need to go pre-industrial? I only said that lowering taxes doesn't always work the way you think.

Based on what I have read, I understand that GM hasn't been paying taxes and has downsized its personnel. Moving corporate headquarters or hiring more people wouldn't have increased their taxes anyway since that wouldn't have affected their profits (at least upwards). Moving part of their production to the US wouldn't be a problem either because their creative accounting would make sure that any profits would show up in some other country. The reason they are not investing in the US is because both manpower and materials are cheaper elsewhere. Eliminating taxes for them is not an incentive to do anything since they are not bothered by taxes anyway. Granted that such a thing would help smaller corporations that are not that "flexible". Of course lowering income tax would also help most of these corporations as well, since they are targeted to the domestic market.

Comment Re:Sadly... (Score 1) 436

It is also sad that some people think that the theory of Economics they read in textbooks works as advertised in an international environment.

Unfortunately I don't see how the "tax breaks" to GM and others have improved the unemployment situation in the US or the US economy. What I see (and I could be wrong) is that the money that they save is invested elsewhere, where it is more profitable. They do invest in lobbying, but I doubt that trickles down to the rest of us.

Comment Re:Laser scanners covertly map? (Score 1) 148

The navigation is covert. It is looking to minimize the chances of being spotted by (presumably) looking for shadows, going under tables, avoiding people and whatnot. Mapping is not even mentioned in the system's factsheet.

Personally I doubt that someone would be actively looking for lasers or have laser detection systems installed in a combat, hostage or other similar situation. In any case vision-based mapping is also possible, so I guess they either wanted to minimize processing requirements or it was just easier and faster to get a product out. When they start selling it, it will probably come with different payloads EO/IR, laser scanner, chemical sniffers, etc.

Btw Kinect (which someone suggested as an alternative) would have the same issue.

Comment Re:Ze Germans (Score 1) 748

In Germany there are four choices and as far as I know you need to get a two year contract, so good luck if you feel like switching. Personally I found them to be expensive. Of course you can always go prepaid as I did. In Greece there are only three choices, but last time I was there I was able to get a contract with no fixed duration (and no termination fees), cheap roaming within Europe and a discount in the already low monthly fees because I had a phone. The number of choices (as long as there is choice) does not count so much as having real competition.

Comment Re:Next step (Score 1) 280

I believe that at first there will be some apprehension and it won't be as easy as you describe. Nevertheless, after the second year when the number of arrests based on the identity/tracking chip increases from 73.053 to 127.314 (including 23 violent/dangerous offenders) the public confidence will rise, countering initial bad coverage and concerns about the cost and privacy issues.

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